Caught in the middle
by Bouncing Ferret1
Summary: Between a Slytherin and a Gryffindor, unexpected things can happen...


**Caught in the middle**  
by Chevie 

It was the first night of fifth year at Hogwarts and Draco Malfoy was lying wide awake on his four-poster bed lined with green and silver curtains, thinking about the first Quidditch match of the year against Gryffindor two weeks later. 

He twisted and turned at the uninspiring thoughts of loss against Gryffindor for the past 4 years. 

_I will win Potter this time._ thought the determined Slytherin as he pulled open a little bit of the green curtain to his right and rested his eyes upon his new broom, Firebolt oh-two, which was glowing under the moonlight. 

The pale blonde smiled and crept back beneath his green and silver sheets. With the satisfied smile still pasted on his face, he fell asleep. 

*** 

"I see the snitch now! It's just below the Malfoy! Potter is coming fast from below! How is Malfoy going to get the snitch before Potter does?" 

Upon hearing that the snitch was just below him, Draco looked down below his broom and spotted the golden snitch, which was flattering its wings as if daring him to jump down and get it. But of course the silver-blonde knew better that he couldn jump down from his broom, which was 50-feet above the ground, if not higher. 

The entire Quidditch pitch became silent to Malfoy. He was unsure of what to do but as if controlled, the Slytherin seeker did something he had never done before. He carefully positioned himself and hung himself upside-down on his broom. Out of the corner of his grey eyes, he could see Harry coming quickly towards him. Focusing back to the snitch, which was still flying playfully around his hands, Draco started to grab for the snitch. 

When Harry arrived below him, trying to reach for the snitch, the blonde felt the snitch flew into his opened left hand and the pitch became noisy again. 

"Malfoy's got the snitch! Slytherin wins!" the commentator yelled through the microphone. 

Draco pulled himself back onto his broom and smirked at Harry, who was now sitting on his broom opposite him with a blank look pasted beneath the messy black hair. Suddenly, the Slytherin felt his broom shaking violently and he grabbed the shiny broom handle tightly with both hands. The broom continued to shake and the next moment, the pale blonde is falling... 

*** 

The pair of pale grey eyes snapped open and realized that his clothes were damp with his perspiration. The things around him were spinning. His head hurts. 

_Will it happen? The Malfoys are famous for dreaming about the future... Maybe I should ask father..._ he swallowed uncomfortably, holding his head. 

Draco pulled away the green and silver sheets and got out of bed. He dressed himself and glanced nervously at the broom shimmering under the sunlight. 

_I'll just take extra precautions that day. Not like I will fall though._ the pale blonde thought and walked down the spiral staircase, out of the Slytherin tower. 

*** 

As the Slytherin took his seat between his two friends, Crabbe and Goyle, at the Great Hall for breakfast, he gazed across the room and met Harry's jade green eyes. Draco's pale grey eyes burned into the Gryffindor's green ones, causing Harry to start blinking unnaturally. 

"What's wrong with your eyes?" asked Ron with his mouth full. 

"Really Ron, do you have any manners?" asked Hermione looking disgusted. 

"Of course I..." Ron started to say but was cut off by Harry. 

"Malfoy is glaring at me and somehow I can't take my eyes away from his." 

Ron made a face and pretended to choke on his food. 

"M... Mal... Malfoy?" He raised one of his eyebrows. "Of all people." 

Hermione looked across the room to the Slytherin's table thoughtfully and reached out suddenly to turn Harry's face towards her, twisting his neck. 

"Ouch!" Harry struggled. "Give me a sign before you do that!" 

"I'm sorry," said Hermione, letting go of the Gryffindor's face. "But you're not looking at Malfoy anymore." 

On the other side of the Hall, the pale Slytherin is still glaring at Harry. 

*** 

During the two weeks before the big match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, Draco trained harder than usual. 

_I'm going to win... I won't fall... I'm going to win..._ the pale blonde kept repeating in his head. 

*** 

Two weeks later, the big match finally arrives. Feeling confident, Draco mounted his broom along with his other teammates and flew out onto the noisy pitch. The spectators hooted and cheered as the two teams appeared. 

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! I'm Lee Jordan, your friendly commentator. This year's first Quidditch match at Hogwarts is about to begin! Gryffindor versus Slytherin, the most exciting match of all time!" The crowd roared. 

"The rivalry between these two teams has been increasing since forever. At the moment, Gryffindor is leading by one game!" The commentator paused as cheers exploded at the Gryffindor stands. 

"So who will win today's game? We'll find out soon enough!" 

Madam Hooch, who was standing in the middle of the green pitch, threw the golden snitch up, blew her whistle and the game begins. 

*** 

Draco flew high above all the other players to have a good view of the entire game. His pale grey eyes alert, ready to dive for the snitch as soon as he spots it. 

Below him, Harry was flying lazily around the three loops on the Gryffindor side for the snitch but keeping a close watch on Malfoy out of the corner of his eye. 

"Now Gryffindor has the Quaffle! Yes, the red and gold chaser is flying fast towards the Slytherin goal! Go Gryff... Bloody hell! The Slytherin keeper blocked it!" 

"Mind your language please, Mr. Jordan," warned Professor McGonagall. 

"Sorry, Professor. Anyway, has anyone seen the snitch? Oh, Gryffindor's got the Quaffle again and... One point for Gryffindor! Was that a bloody brilliant shot from Angelina or what!?" 

"Mr. Jordan... One more disgraceful word from you..." 

"I get the idea, professor." 

After each team scored 5 goals, Draco and Harry were still flying slowly up and down, left and right, looking for the tiny golden snitch. Suddenly, the pale blonde saw Harry zooming up towards him. 

_What the hell...?_ thought the Slytherin seeker. 

"I see the snitch now! It's just below the Malfoy! Potter is coming fast from below! How is Malfoy going to get the snitch before Potter does?" 

Upon hearing that the snitch was just below him, Draco looked down below his broom and spotted the golden snitch, which was flattering its wings as if daring him to jump down and get it. But of course the silver-blonde knows better that he cannot jump down from his broom, which was 50-feet above the ground, if not higher. 

_Oh no... It's coming true..._ Malfoy remembered suddenly. 

Although he was unwilling to hang upside-down like he did in the dream, but as if controlled, the Slytherin seeker carefully positioned himself and hung himself upside-down on his broom. Out of the corner of his pale eyes, he could see Harry coming quickly towards him. 

_I might as well get the snitch._ Draco starts to grab for the snitch. 

When Harry arrived below him, trying to reach for the snitch, the blonde felt the snitch flew into his opened left hand. 

"Malfoy's got the snitch! Damn it!" the commentator yelled through the microphone. 

"That's enough, Mr. Jordan!" scolded Professor McGonagall. 

Draco pulled himself back onto his broom and looked at Harry, who was now sitting on his broom opposite him with a blank look pasted beneath the messy black hair. 

_Just like the dream... and now the broom is going to..._ He tightened his grip on the broom handle. 

At once, the Slytherin felt his broom shaking violently and he grabbed the shiny broom handle even more tightly with both hands. The broom continued to shake and the next moment, the pale blonde is falling... 

"Somebody... anybody... Save me..." choked Draco but no voice came out. 

Suddenly, he felt himself landing into a pair of arms. 

When his eyes finally came into focus again, he saw a bolt of lightning hiding behind some messy black hair and a pair of familiar round glasses... Harry Potter. 

"Arghhhh!" shrieked the blonde Slytherin. 

"Don't move! We're 30-feet above the ground and you're bloody... heavy..." panted the Gryffindor. 

Draco remained still and silent although he felt like kicking Harry. 

_Of all people to save me... that bloody Scarhead. How am I going to show my face around school ever again?_ thought the embarrassed silver-blonde. 

Soon, Madam Hooch flew up and carried the blushing Malfoy off Harry's tired arms. 

*** 

"Way to go, Harry! Draco will never live this down like how Snape can never..." remarked a grinning Ron, slapping Harry hard on the back. 

"Shh!" warned Hermione. 

"What shh? What's that that we can't know about?" asked Fred and George, walking over to join in the conversation. 

"I never thought of that. It was like as if I had to save him," Harry explained. 

"Shouldn't have saved him really, Harry. We still lost," said Fred. 

"He could use some Canary Creampuffs!" George joked. 

"Flying ferret? Cool!" Ron laughed. 

"Really, Weasley..." commented Hermione. 

*** 

While the Slytherins were celebrating their victory over Gryffindor, Draco was alone in his dormitory. He sat cross-legged on his four-poster bed with the green and silver curtains drawn. Draco was still angry with himself and Harry. Especially Harry. 

_I sweared I wouldn't fall. Bloody Potter. Now I owe him one._ thought the pale blonde irritably, punching his pillow. 

While Malfoy was throwing tantrums at the Slytherin tower, Harry had just returned to his dormitory at the Gryffindor tower. 

The green-eyed teen fell onto his four-poster bed heavily and gave a loud sigh. 

_You saved Malfoy. You've always wanted him..._ a little voice said at the back of the Gryffindor's confused mind. 

"I guess so..." he muttered. 

_Wait a minute. Wanted him? What am I thinking? Why would I want that bastard Draco Malfoy? No, I don't want him. What the heck?_ Harry felt his face burning as he fought with the words in his head. 

Hiding his head under the pillow, the messy-haired teen tried to shut the voice out of his head and closed his eyes. 

*** 

The following morning at breakfast, Draco and Harry came face to face at the entrance to the Great Hall. 

The two stood silently facing each other until the silver-blonde finally spoke. 

"Uh... Thanks for... yesterday." He paused uneasily. "Yeah." 

"Oh... It was... nothing." The Gryffindor smiled nervously and looked up at the ceiling. 

"Hmm... Right." muttered Malfoy, looking down at his shoes. 

Silence. 

_Aren't you going to go in for breakfast?_ thought Harry impatiently, still looking at the ceiling. 

_Move it, Potter, you bloody scarhead..._ thought Draco, looking up and frowning. 

"Why aren't you going in?" asked the annoyed Slytherin finally. 

"Well, you aren't moving," answered the Gryffindor. 

"Eat slugs, scarhead," sneered Malfoy, stomping into the hall. 

Shocked and insulted, Harry opened his mouth to say something but closed it and followed. 

*** 

Later that day, the blonde and the raven-haired teen avoided all eye contact and treated each other as invisible. 

When they were forced to work in the same group during Herbology, the two rivals kept their heads low and worked silently. 

During dinner, Draco sat at his usual place between Crabbe and Goyle, massaging the back of his neck. 

"Broke your neck?" Crabbe asked. 

"Hospital wing?" added Goyle. 

"Shut up," snapped the blonde Slytherin. 

*** 

When all the students were ushered back to their respective towers, Malfoy headed straight into his dormitory. 

Undressing himself and changing into his pyjamas, he climbed into bed, lied down and rested his head on his arms. 

He started thinking about the incident outside the Great Hall. 

_I was never shy facing Potter... So why was I so nervous just now?_ wondered the troubled Slytherin. 

_You look away whenever you meet his green eyes and always call him names when you really want to call him by his name..._ a little voice at the back of his head said. 

"Yeah..." muttered Draco. "Eh?" 

_What am I thinking? Calling that bloody bastard 'Harry'? That will be the day!_ argues the pale blonde. 

_Don't lie to yourself._ said the voice. 

"I'm not!" Malfoy shouted and he covered his face with his green blanket. 

Suddenly, he heard a soft knocking noise in his room. 

"Who's there?" asked a muffled voice beneath the covers. 

Knock, knock, knock. 

"Argh! Who's is it?!" Draco pulled the covers open and demanded. 

Knock, knock, knock. 

He turned to the window and saw a snowy white owl outside the window. Tied to its leg was a piece of parchment. 

The Slytherin jumped out of bed and walked quickly towards the window after recognising Harry's owl, Hedwig. 

Hedwig flew into the warm room and landed on the bed after the window was opened. 

The silver-blonde patted the bird's head and untied the note. 

"Hey Malfoy. I never knew you can be shy until this morning. Signed, Harry." 

Draco muttered "bastard" and crumpled the parchment. When he noticed Hedwig's presence, he tossed the paper ball at her. 

Hedwig jumped out of the way and clicked her beck disapprovingly while she flew out of the window looking annoyed. 

_Bloody scarhead and his bloody bird._ thought the fuming Slytherin. 

*** 

Feeling offended, the silver-blonde confronted the Gryffindor the next day before Herbology outside the green house. 

"Come here. I want to talk to you." Draco demanded. 

Harry moved towards him looking irritated by the blonde's attitude. 

"What is it? I don't want to miss Herbology," said the raven-haired teen impatiently. 

"Listen. I'm not bloody gay. I don't like you. I hate you." Malfoy pronounced each word clearly. 

Harry bit his lower lip and the Slytherin thought he was about to cry. 

_If you cry, I'll hex you, you bloody sissy._ thought the pale blonde. 

"So you think I'm gay and like you?" the Gryffindor replied quietly. 

Draco was taken aback. 

"Eat slugs, Potter," said the grey-eyed teen and jogged towards the green house. 

*** 

After potions the very same day, the silver-blonde approached Snape. 

"Professor... May I have a word?" asked Malfoy politely. 

"Yes, of course." The potions master turned around. 

"Uh... It's about Pott... No." He paused. "Have you ever feel that you're attracted to someone of the same gender?" 

"Hmm?" Snape burned his black eyes into the grey ones with great interest. "Not really. Why do you ask?" 

"Oh. Nothing. Just... asking." Draco said in a disappointed tone. 

"Is it about Potter and... you?" The head of Slytherin made a wild guess. 

"H... How did you know?" stammered the Slytherin. 

"Pretty obvious. Well, so... what is this all about? You think that you have something for Potter?" Snape questioned. 

"More like Potter is interested in me," answered Malfoy without thinking. "Uh... I mean..." 

"Oh I see. How do you know?" asked the potions master, turning half his attention to the cupboard behind. 

The pale blonde went on explaining about the note sent by Harry and Harry's reaction when Draco told him that he hates him. 

"Here, drink this." Snape turned back with a small glass filled with purple liquid when his student finished. 

The silver-blonde drank the liquid obediently and returned the glass to his house master. 

"Very good, Draco," praised Snape while placing an oval mirror in front of Malfoy. "Now, are you a Slytherin?" 

"Yes," answered Draco, feeling confused. 

In the mirror, Draco smiled although the real Draco was not. 

"What the...?" muttered the blonde. 

Snape smiled a crooked smile. 

"Is there anything between you and Potter?" he asked. 

"No!" Malfoy said loudly. "Sorry, professor." 

In the mirror, Draco frowned. 

"Do not lie, Mr. Malfoy," warned Snape, looking into the mirror. 

"I didn't..." 

Reflection Draco continues frowning. 

"Well..." the pale blonde's voice trailed off. 

"I guess it's not very easy talking about such things with me around. Go back and look in a mirror." Snape said knowingly. 

"Yes, professor," answered Malfoy obediently and went for his books. 

*** 

Back at his dormitory, the silver-blonde dropped his books on the floor, opened his wardrobe and stood in front of the mirror. 

"Erm... I'm Draco Malfoy," he tested. 

Reflection Draco smiles. 

"Great. It's in good condition." The Slytherin paused. "I hate Harry Potter." 

Reflection Draco frowns. 

"I dislike Harry Potter," he tried again. 

Reflection Draco frowns. 

"I really hate Harry Potter!" 

Reflection Draco frowns. 

"Argh... I want to give Potter a good kick!" 

Reflection Draco smiles. 

"I... uh... like Potter...?" stammers Draco. 

Reflection Draco smiles. 

"Damn," he muttered. 

*** 

The next morning, the pale blonde woke up early and went to the Gryffindor tower. 

He looked at the Fat lady and sighed while leaning against a pillar. 

Soon, Draco got impatient. 

_Curse that bloody Potter. Doesn't he know that I'm waiting for him out here?_ he thought angrily. 

_Of course he doesn't. You didn't tell him._ the voice in his head said. 

"Oh, right," murmured the Slytherin. 

After waiting for some time, Harry finally appeared beneath the Fat lady portrait with Ron and Hermione. 

Malfoy straightened his robes and appeared behind the pillar. 

"Potter. A moment," he signalled to the Gryffindor. 

Whispering something into Ron's ear, Harry walked reluctantly to the silver-blonde. 

"Are you going to tell me you're gay now?" taunted the raven-haired teen. 

"No. I..." 

"Then what do you want now?" asked Harry irritably. 

"Can you shut up and listen to me?" Malfoy shouted. 

The Gryffindor pulled his lips into a thin line and the Slytherin leaned forward, pressing his warm cheek onto the raven-haired teen's. 

"What the..." Harry muttered. 

"Shh..." said Draco quietly and the Gryffindor stopped talking. 

"I just want to tell you that... I think I like you," whispered the blonde before he turned and ran off. 

"Huh? Hey... Dra..." Harry's voice trailed off as he ran after Draco. 

The End  
k3well@hotmail.com


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